Association between induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, and infertility respectively and the risk of psychiatric disorders in 57,770 women followed in gynecological practices in Germany

Abstract

Aim: Our goal was to analyze the association between induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, and infertility respectively and the risk of psychiatric disorders in 57,770 women followed in gynecological practices in Germany.

Methods: This case-control study was based on data from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA). Women with a first documentation of depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, or somatoform disorder in one of 281 gynecological practices in Germany between January 2013 and December 2017 were included in this study (index date). Controls without depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, or somatoform disorder were matched (1:1) to cases by age, index year, and physician. A total of 57,770 women were included in the present study. The main outcome of the study was the risk of psychiatric disorders (i.e. depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, somatoform disorder) as a function of induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, and infertility.

Results: The mean age was 29.2 years (SD = 6.4 years) in women with and without psychiatric disorders. Induced abortion (odds ratios [ORs] ranging from 1.75 to 2.01), spontaneous abortion (ORs ranging from 2.16 to 2.60), and infertility (OR = 2.13) were positively associated with the risk of psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions: A positive relationship between induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, and infertility respectively and psychiatric disorders was observed in gynecological practices in Germany.

Keywords: Germany; Gynecological practices; Induced abortion; Infertility; Psychiatric disorders; Spontaneous abortion.